This Day in Sports History: Falcons Draft Michael Vick With No. 1 Pick

In 2001, the Falcons had the No. 5 pick in the NFL draft, but they stunned the NFL world by trading up with the Chargers to acquire the No. 1 overall selection. Atlanta sent its first- and third-round picks and a 2002 second-round draft pick to San Diego in order to select Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick.

The surprising trade worked out for all parties involved. The Chargers used their No. 5 pick to take future Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson, and Vick became a star in Atlanta.

In 2002, Vick's first season as a starter, he passed for nearly 3,000 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for 777 yards and eight scores. The Falcons went on a 7–0–1 stretch mid-season, which included the QB's incredible 46-yard touchdown dash in overtime to beat the Vikings in Week 13. 

Vick led the Falcons to the Wild Card game, where they beat Brett Favre and the Packers at Lambeau Field 27–7. Atlanta lost to the Eagles in the divisional round, but Vick had made his mark in the league. He made his first Pro Bowl that year and in two of the next three.  

In 2004, Vick set a new NFL record in a Week 8 game against the Denver Broncos by becoming the first QB in the league to pass for more than 250 yards and rush for more than 100 yards in a single game. By this point, Vick was a fan favorite in Atlanta and his No. 7 jersey was seen all over the city. Falcons owner Arthur Blank rewarded Vick with a 10-year, $130 million contract extension in the offseason, making him the highest-paid NFL player at the time.

The Falcons missed the playoffs the next two years, but Vick reached another milestone in 2006. He finished the year with 1,039 rushing yards, becoming the first NFL QB to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season. 

By that time, questions arose over Vick's abilities as a pocket passer and whether he would bring a Super Bowl title to Atlanta. However, everything changed in 2007 when Vick was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison for his role in a Virginia dogfighting ring.

Vick missed the 2007 and 2008 seasons while serving his jail sentence in Leavenworth, Kan. In 2009, the Eagles took a chance and signed him. He went on to play for seven more seasons—including a Pro Bowl campaign for the Eagles in 2010—and retired from the NFL in 2015. Vick said he'd always wanted to retire as a Falcon, and Atlanta granted his wish with a retirement ceremony two years later.

Analysis from Terence Moore of Falcon Report: The Falcons worked a trade with the San Diego Chargers for the No. 1 pick of the 2001 NFL draft to grab Michael Vick, and around Atlanta it was nirvana. Dirty Birds fans already sensed the glee that Vick would bring them with his otherworldly skills at quarterback.